An Adventure Beyond Boundaries
by Tsunashi777
Summary: I was just a regular guy, with regular goals, living a regular life. Now I'm the big bro of an anime character, have Demonic powers, know magic that isn't even native here, am suddenly surrounded by hot ladies, and I've got the attention of a dimension-jumping troll of a Vampire. This is just great...
1. Chapter 1

Name: **"An Adventure Beyond Boundaries"**

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**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own Highschool DxD and Nasuverse works, these belong to their rightful and respectful authors. The only thing I own is my OC protagonist and any ideas regarding him

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**Summary** : "I was just a regular guy, with regular goals, living a regular life. Now I'm the big bro of an anime character, have Demonic powers, know magic that isn't even native here, am suddenly surrounded by hot ladies, and I've got the attention of a dimension-jumping troll of a Vampire. This is just great..."

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Greetings and Bienvenue, respective readers and authors of Fanfiction. Here I have an idea for a challenge between Highschool DxD and Nasuverse works. Whoever is interested in the realization of it into a story, I had this idea in mind for some time and decided to post it. Unfortunately, I don't have time to realize it because of certain things I have, such as my lack of patience and inability to describe things in details, which is essential for fanfiction. Also, I can't be called a true fan of Nasuverse, so I might make mistakes without realizing it. For all those who are trying to mock me and make fun of me because of it, I don't give a damn about your opinion - this is just challenge for whoever is interested about turning it into the story.

The main hero is SI. Yes, SI. I know some of you don't like SI characters, but I - along with other authors - like OC main characters because it is a chance for us to realize ideas and potential that, in our opinion, wasn't brought in stories. Just look around as there are plenty of good stories with OC main characters which deserve high regards, like "Crimson Dragon Emperor and Crimson Eyed Knight" or "Kill or be Killed" written by 'Writer with bad Grammar T-T.' Also, if it comes to OC instead of protagonists of stories, then in fics, where we realize our own ideas, we just make our own OC characters under names of already existing heroes with our own preferences, as any strays from canon created by authors of real manga, book, movie and etc. automatically makes these characters and protagonists OC .

Another requirement is to make Highschool DxD more serious and fascinating, so the plot could have been better and fights more interesting.

You might ask why this isn't Vali being in Nasuverse instead of SI protagonist? Well, because I like the character of Vali Lucifer. I am fully satisfied with how he is build, based, and developed. Thus I don't see any reason to drastically change his character.

I also want to express my gratitude to such great authors like VideoGameNut and Valiant Panther, who gave PRICELESS assistance in making this challenge. Without them, you wouldn't see this work as it is now. Thanks a lot, guys!

Also, the next chapters of the challenge are ideas I am SUGGESTING. "Special chapters" are meant to give you a better expression of my idea. Whenever you include it into your own realization of this idea is up to you.

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In hindsight, I've come to understand that some of my wording in regards to this challenge may lead to potential confusion.

Allow me to clear the air on the matter.

It is not my intention to try and lead the story down a particular path. The scenes and chapter fragments shown were never meant to be considered REQUIREMENTS for the fic itself, merely attempts to gain some understanding of the protagonist and his interactions with the characters around him. Nor were his potential powers or resources all requirements, merely a suggestion of possibility, though the writer is free to pick and choose whether or not they would include them.

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This isn't only Fate series x Highschool DxD crossover, and as such, this story idea gives you the freedom to include other works of Nasuverse.

Such as Tsukihime, Melty Blood, Kara no Kyokai, Mahoutsukai no Yoru.

Now, for the sentence summaries:

**Protagonist - **The protagonist must – obviously- have knowledge of at least Highschool DxD and Nasuverse, particularly regarding Magecraft and its workings. The backstory may vary, but the MC would preferably be at least slightly over 20.

Protagonist preferred to have a serious profession in the past life such as a doctor, engineer, or medical technician (such knowledge would accelerate his growth with various fields).

Though this case is up for you to decide.

**Rebirth -** The MC is reborn as Vali's older brother with vague memories of a certain silver-haired, red-eyed man (you know who he is). Will preferably influence Vali in ways to make him stronger and somewhat more 'positive' than in canon.

I'm not sure about Vali entirely changing, but he'll probably be less arrogant and dismissive of others. If nothing else, the arrogant attitude wouldn't extend to his big brother, and he'd be one of the few people around whom he completely drops the attitude.

**Experience -** As Vali is adopted by Azazel, the Protagonist is essentially adopted by Zelretch and taken in as his apprentice. Reasons for Zelretch's action may vary but preferably revolve around him believing the MC (Main Character) may be capable of averting some future catastrophe and simply to alleviate his own boredom.

More likely then not, Zeltrech is just trying to troll the DxD universe.

**Worlds -** World travel is not necessary but encouraged due to it being a likely choice for training and entertainment by Zelretch. Recruiting people from these worlds is optional but, again, encouraged.

Please note that doing so adds more variable into the now modified DxD. Please plan out and be prepared to deal with the butterfly effect.

**Holy Grail War -** He will participate. Non-negotiable. What actually happens is up to you and in which universe it occurs.

If it occurs in the DxD universe, please take careful consideration when 'Holy' or 'Divine' Heroes are summoned, since the DxD universe Church has its own interpretations and the Hero Division is going to bring up questions about their ancestors/namesakes being around.

**Recommended Worlds - **"Campione," " Mahou Sensei Negima," "UQ Holder," "Mondaiji Taichi ga Isekai Kuru soudesu yo," "To aru Majutsu no index," " Blood Blockade Battlefront," "K Project,," "Trinity Seven," "Dies Irae."

Possibly others as long as they have the presence of some magical force, mysticism or supernatural elements.

Magic is not necessarily required to be bound to science principals or methodologies.

I know that exploring other worlds might be a bit of a tenuous thing. Because otherwise, the readers would likely start making demands or getting fussy and start saying "why didn't you add character X from series Y? You can totally do that, so why didn't you? It'd make things so much cooler for me." It might be a dangerous move , but IF you are fully sure that you can make fic with multiverse elements akin to "Twice Inheritor" written by 'bubbajack' or something as promising like "Kingdom of Hearts: War of Hearts" and "Despair War" written by 'sephiroth12285', then you can give a try , but PLEASE don't risk if you are unsure .

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Why is Highschool DxD not serious, and why should it get improved?

Alright, down to business, folks. Highschool DxD is NOT the best anime out there. Not even close. But the most disappointing thing about it is that it could actually be so much BETTER.

Not harping on the mangaka – he knew the market he was writing for – but if he just toned some parts of it down or accentuated others and added some nuance, it could have been a really great anime.

But we can't do anything about canon, so we'll have to settle with what we can do on a fic. Fortunately, I have a few suggestions.

**Humanity** \- Let's face it, everybody, Humanity pretty much gets the short end of the stick in this series. They don't REALLY have any faction of their own. Just people like the Hero Faction who seem more interested in killing non-Humans, or the Church which is really nothing but Heaven's personal proxy force. Humanity should have a group of its own, whether a magical or even technological focus, but it should be a force OF Humanity FOR Humanity. Considering what science can achieve and the number of rogue angels and demons 'acknowledged' in the history of the cannon, it is not IMPOSSIBLE to perceive that some of them aligned with humans and/or mated with them, creating mostly human descendants with access to set factions magical abilities but not their weaknesses.

**Factions** \- Besides what's essentially a few short cameos, there is NO attention paid to supernatural groups besides the Three Factions. What about the other Pantheons? The supernatural races like the Werewolves, the Irish Fae, the Yokai, the other mythologies of the world? The series just seems completely barren of anything besides the Three Factions, and that needs to change. Give the other groups some focus, some personal arcs to show them off and give them identity and nuance, don't just leave them out in the cold.

**Peerage** \- For all the implications of Peerage and the Evil Pieces in the series, almost none of it is really explored at all. Someone recruits someone else into their Peerage and ... that's it. Nothing else. What about the potential abuses of power through what's essentially a feudal system? Where're the political implications and potential alliances due to certain people being offered and accepted into a Peerage? Stuff like political hostages or an overture at an alliance? Just how much power does a Peerage really grant someone when used well, and how has it really affected Devil society? The closest the issue of politics and Peerage that ever came up in the beginning of the show were the fights Riser Phoenix lost for the benefit of his family.

These are things that should really be explored but were tossed away by canon, so it's up to us writers to make up for that.

**Power Scaling and Fights** \- Now I know this is kinda silly, considering Highschool DxD is a Shounen series material, but does anyone else think some of the fights are COMPLETE NONSENSE? How people like Rizevim and Euclid, who survived Great and Civil wars, lost to Issei? How Sairaorg lost to Issei? How Issei even managed to match with Crom Cruach? How the freaking hell Lilith, a clone of Ophis, lost to Fafnir? These fights are less fights then they are attempts to try and make Issei look impressive or build up the "New Generation" as having so much potential, and it's a real waste. These fights should be taken realistically, seriously, and it looks like the writer just isn't up to it.

If the writer chooses to maintain the 'status quo' and timeline of the story, then justifiable reasons have to be given for the victories: research into the opponent, a weakness/restriction on the opponents ends, a boost/enhancement on the protagonist side, an outside factor, a special power JUST for said opponent (such as Siegfried's specialization and bonuses against fighting dragons).


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, guys, this is officially first serious chapter of idea, which I wanted to post for a long time. Warning beforehand, this is one of such chapters, which contains events that WILL happen in future , but there is no fixated chronological order between them. Main purpose of these is to give you insight on my Protagonist's character and his mind. However, in future, I will post chapters with events starting from the very beginning of my MC's story. This chapter demonstrates how Protagonist treats our certain favorite pervert.**

**Of things to Come 1:** The Devil takes his Due

Issei wasn't really sure how the hell this could've happened.

The day had started so well, almost like a dream. A really cute girl just walked up to him and asked if he could be her boyfriend for a day. How could he say no to that!? She was so beautiful, with her long dark hair and captivating eyes, her perfectly smooth and almost glossy skin.

Not to mention a DAMN fine body that her outfit did NOTHING to hide, her short height be damned!

And their date had gone so well. They went to the arcade, got some souvenirs, went out to eat for a little while, enjoyed a nice walk through the nicer parts of town. He may be a pervert, but he knew how to treat a girl right on a date… for justifiable rewards afterward, of course.

He was a pervert, not an idiot. A possible masochist, but again, not an idiot.

And then she asked him to die for her.

Then she just transformed into something that, in probably ANY other situation, would've been something out of one of his greatest wet dreams.

Too bad he couldn't enjoy the mental image as she pierced something through his heart right afterward.

She suggested that he blame God for it. Something about how God himself had given something that apparently made him worth killing over. She said it was a Sacred... a Sacred Gear? He had no idea what that even was. He was gonna die here for something he knew NOTHING about.

The lack of oxygen and blood going to his head may have been a factor as well in his confusion, but he blacked out at the moment.

He couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled up from his throat, though he could've done without the bubbling of blood that came up and leaked slightly from his mouth.

'I'm gonna die here,' he thought. 'I'm gonna die here. Die as a damn virgin.'

It was probably the stupidest thing a person could think in there last moments. Shouldn't the fact that they were dying at all be more important than the fact that they'd never gotten laid? Even he felt a little bitter that his last thoughts would be over something so pitiful.

Ignoring the pain, ignoring the warm, sickening, rustic smelling wetness on the soil under him, ignoring the increasing blackness of his vision, Issei turned up onto his back to look at the night sky one more time. To see the stars one more time.

"I'm sorry Mom… Dad..." The words came out less fully formed and more like a wet gurgle, the blood in his throat and mouth making them all but indecipherable.

He felt the cool night air upon his skin before the sensations started to fade. Felt his life leave him by the second as he lost sensation entirely.

But before it was over, he could've sworn he saw someone. Some dude in black jeans and a dark sleeveless hoodie, standing over him. He couldn't make out his face, but he thought the guy also had a... cane in his hand? What a weird accessory.

Then before he finally blacked out, before his eyes closed and his heart could stop, he could've sworn he saw the increasingly blurry figure kneel down to him and put a hand on his chest. Could've sworn he saw a glow and felt some warmth spreading throughout his chest.

He blacked out before he could think on it any deeper, thoughts lost in the void of deep unconsciousness.

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"Well, I guess there are SOME things I can't change just be existing."

Seriously, the Butterfly Effect you always hear about can be really weird.

Some people think things change or happen differently just by you existing, others say you might not change anything at all without hard effort, and some people can't seem to make up their minds on it.

But that chaos for you – plays by its own rules, and doesn't give a fuck to anyone else.

Either way, THIS little incident seemed to be one that was set largely in stone. Too bad for Issei Hyoudo.

Truth be told, he never really liked the character of the guy. He was pretty much just a wish-fulfillment character, and his only real outstanding personality trait was that he happened to be a massively shameless pervert who was obsessed with huge breasts. And yet SOMEHOW girls ended up falling for him left and right and center. And he ended up having one of the most POWERFUL weapons in the franchise, the Boosted Gear. His whole character was just cliche's and power fantasy and poor writing.

Granted, an argument can be made that the attraction of the opposite sex to him could be traced back by a passive effect of his Sacred Gear. And yes, his perversion COULD be traced back to an early formative childhood interaction which was exaggerated due to the draconian 'animalistic instinct' influence of Ddraig. And yes, his pervertedness did overshadow his more admiral traits that made him such a trope Shounen character.

But still, wish fulfillment is wish fulfillment.

But that didn't mean he deserved to die like this, as much as his haters would probably say otherwise. Then again, Rein was willing to bet that none of his haters had been put into a situation where the person in question was REAL and DYING right in front of them.

I honestly considered letting it happen. Thought about letting Issei die just so I could take his body as research material, keep him on the very edge of death, and extract the Boosted Gear for myself. With some of the Servants on my side, it would have been a cakewalk.

But as tempting as it was, there still existed a part of me that just couldn't QUITE pass that line. I wasn't QUITE that cold and ruthless.

I am many things, flaws and all, but I am not that kind of person.

The jury was still out on whether or not that was really such a good thing.

And THAT was why I was currently kneeling down, a glowing hand over the wound and slowly knitting it back together.

Well, maybe not the ENTIRE reason. For all that hate against the CHARACTER of Issei Hyoudo, there was no denying that he was still useful to keep on the board. The Boosted Gear made him very powerful in time, and if I - Reinherz - could find a way to direct him? Well, then he just found himself a damn useful proxy that could help with his objectives without drawing more attention to Rein himself.

And I do SO love the benefits of anonymity.

Plus it would be kind of interesting seeing Rias adapting without Issei bailing her out. Maybe she'll still recruit him later, maybe she'd need to work on her own. Hell, maybe I would have an opportunity to approach her and broker a deal of his own. Though I have to admit that the thought of drafting such a deal with a rather attractive young woman like Rias Gremory certainly had more appeal.

Good thing I had Medea find a way to block out the magic of the summoning pamphlets just for this occasion. I should really find a way to thank her for it. Maybe a day off or two, if I could get her to drop the workaholic thing for a while.

No small feat, mind you. Perhaps a spa day with the others?

It wasn't long before Issei's wounds were healed. I might not be an expert on healing, but I was good enough for things like this.

The job done, I rose back up from his kneeling position and walked off into the night.

"So much to do, so much to plan for."

In snap of my fingers, Issei's form was engulfed in light of magic circle and disappeared without trace, taking him to his room.

And as I walked away, I planned. Planned for the present, the future, and how to fit it all together. I'd gotten pretty good at it, but it's really no surprise when your life depends so heavily on it.

I couldn't help but chuckle a little. Things were gonna get CRAZY! And it all started here.

After all, this wasn't the story of Issei Hyoudo anymore. It was the story of Reinherz Schweinorg Lucifer. The man who would be the coming of the second Morning Star.

"I'm coming for you grampa," I muttered, hand clenching my cane styled Mystic Code. "I'm coming for you. And you're NOT gonna like what happens next."

**END**


	3. Chapter 3

**Of things to Come 2 : Returned sense of Pain**

**Begin**

'How did this all happen ?'

That was the though of one Fujino Asagami as she followed this strange man . This obviously foreigner who introduced himself as Reinherz

This had started some time ago , a few months back when she'd been grabbed on her way home and pulled into some dark building . She vaguely remembered the place having a heavy and oppressive smell to it , almost making her nose in discomfort of memory alone .

Would it be odd that her memory put more emphasis on the smell of that place than what else had transpired .

She wasn't naïve or an airhead , she wasn't some fool , who was kept sheltered from some the darker elements of the world , she KNEW what rape was . But she didn't understand how some considered it something so traumatizing . It was just a sensation , just movement and something going in and out , but did people find it so horrible ?

Or did it say something wrong about her that she wasn't traumatized by it at all ?

Regardless , the incidents continued . At least once a week , though sometimes several in a row if they were particulary aggressive . They changed buildings a few times , though they were always abandoned and out of the way.

She never saw any point in fighting back , in some futile act she knew wouldn't work . It just would've been a waste of time and energy that would've caused them to take more time . Better to just be quiet and let it happen . It's not like it was unbearable .

It's not like it hurt .

Which made it all the more of a shock when it DID .

The moment when one of them brought a baseball bat down on her head , that shock that started from her skull before flowing the rest of her body , awakening her very sensation and feeling that had been aways for so long .

That was the first time she'd ever felt pain . The first time she'd ever screamed from it .

They made her scream for hours until they were done for the day .

It repeated again the next day , more of that new and horrifying feeling . Was this pain ? Was this why was so traumatized by such an expierance ? Was this what they were all afraid of ? Is this what she'd been so numb to all this time ?

Then it was repeated the next day , then next , and the next . Was this going to go on forever ? Just days full of endless pain and screaming until her throat was hoarse .

Until one of them pulled out that knife , its metal gleaming a sinister silver under the dim light , the holders smile full of dark amusement and malice .

She remembered feeling something in her eyes as it happened . A tightening sensation followed by her vision seeming to explode and expand into a spectrum of colors that completely defied her ability to quantify . And somehow , she saw how they all flowed together as a whole , something connected to her vision that she could interfere with .

She almost did , aiming it for the knife with a word on her lips , a command that seemed to instinctively appear in the back of her mind .

And then HE appeared .

iFlashback begin

_Reinherz nervously scratched the back of his head. "Uh, sorry about the mess. I imagine you would've wanted to kill them yourself, but I got kinda worked up."_

_Actually, worked up was putting it rather mildly. Reinherz didn't consider himself a particularly violent guy, at least not without REASON, but these guys had really slammed down hard on several buttons of his that were best left untouched._

_The end result was a substantial serving of severe bodily harm. Limbs twisted or ripped off, burnt flesh, pieves of them cut away by blades of air, not to mention his rather rage fueled choice of literally SMEARING one of them all over the walls. It looked like a bad artist came in and tried to coat the walls with a new layer of thick red paint._

_It was practically a scene right out of a slasher movie. Which made the reaction of the girl in front of him, or LACK of a reaction at all, all the more disturbing on its own._

_Fujino Asagami didn't react to the sight beyond looking around with a blank stare, as if entirely unconcerned with the world around her._

_Definitely a ...worrying reaction, considering whet she'd been going through here for the past week or so. Then again, she was still acting much the same as she had in the original series, so maybe it wasn't THAT strange._

_He was about to speak again, but was interrupted by a pitiful whimper of agony from a quivering form in the rooms corner. Keito Minato, one of the perpetrators. Fujino turned her eyes to him herself. "Why is that one alive?"_

_"For you."_

_She turned back to him, tilting her head slightly in an unspoken question._

_"I originally planned on letting you decide what to do with ALL of them, but ... well, that didn't exactly work out." He gestured to the carnage of the room around them, sure she'd get the point. "But I thought you'd at least like ONE person to punish for this personally. Kill him or don't, it's up to you."_

_She still looked at him for a moment after that, head still tilted and that empty look in place before the words finally seemed to sink in and something approaching life appeared in her red eyes. Turning to the whimpering young man in the corner, the only source of noise in the room immediately fell quiet._

_For a moment nothing happened, as if the place had been frozen in time. Until, finally, Fujino's eyes started to glow. "_**Bend**_."_

_The warehouse was filled with Keito's screams, the area beyond silent as a tomb due to the Bounded Field Rein had already put in place beforehand._

_**(Time later)**_

_"Whoa," Reinherz quietly muttered, watching in morbid amazement as Fujino continued to twist and bend Keito around in every which way with her Mystic Eyes of Distortion. He had to admit, there was a small part in the back of his mind that was actually a little disturbed, in spite of the fact that he'd seen things easily worse than this before._

_Then again, this little session had gone on for over TEN MINUTES now and showed no signs of stopping. Just how long was she gonna toy around?_

_"_**Bend**_," she muttered, apparently for one last time, twisting his neck around until it bent to the point of literally twisting itself off._

_Well, looks like that finished it all up. Keito and his little friends were all dead, Fujino was safe and ... RELATIVELY stable, and he had a potential new ally. He only wished he'd have shown up before she'd been ... well, he was just too late to stop it all. At least he'd managed to find a way to unlock her Mystic Eyes, and now he could get her to a doctor to handle her illness early._

_"Done?" he asked her, wondering if she wanted to mutilate the corpses a bit more. Considering what they did to her, he wouldn't be too surprised._

_Fujino seemed to think on that for a bit, but eventually shook her head._

_"Alright then. In that case we should get going. Oh, but first."_

_Taking his hand out of his pocket, grasping what looked like a loose collection of shredded paper, he cast his hand out with palm open. Free in the air, the shreds of paper seemed to mujltiply and seek out the bodies, covering them over completely until there was no trace of them to be seen. Then, with a snap of his fingers, they ignited and began to burn the evidence away._

_Fujino was surprisingly unperturbed by the obviously paranormal display, showing no reaction beyond a slight widening of her eyes and a strangely rapt look as she saw the corpses of her tormentors burn away._

_"We don't need to leave any evidence," he explained. "These flames won't stop burning until there isn't even ashes left, they won't even be able to do a DNA scan, so we'll be off scot-free."_

_He received barely a nod of recognition as a response to his words, Fujino still seeming enraptured by the sight. Maybe she was just really that spiteful towards them? Unsurprising._

_The crackle of flames filled the room they were in, no smoke rising from the fires due to the unique chemical composition it was formed from. In a matter of minutes they were gone, all evidence erased from the world. And people said you couldn't get away with murder._

_Well, if all else fails, he could definitely go into business as a cleaner for the mafia or something._

_"Come on," he said, gesturing for Fujino to follow him. His steps were alone at first, before a second pair slowly joined him as he left._

_"Where are we going?"_

_He smiled slightly. "To see a friend of mine. She's a bit eccentric but a goo- ... well, not a GOOD person, per se, but certainly better that THESE jackasses."_

Flashback end

"Reinherz-san ?" Fujino asked quietly

"Just call me Rein," he insisted, "it's easier. What's up ?"

"The friend you're taking me to, what's she like exactly ?"

He was quiet for while after she spoke, seeming to ponder over a response before he answered her.

"She's ... a bit odd. Bit of hermit, but she's got skills. A wide variety, in fact. Bit of a jack-of-all-trades . Just our luck she's in town right now, though you'd never know it unless you knew where to look . "

She listened quietly , occasionally nodding her head in acknowledgment . He told her about some of the woman's hobbies, apparently including architecture , paranormal investigation , and ... puppets ? She was about to inquire as to the last one when a rather pungent scent reached her nostrils , causing her nose to twitch slightly .

"Is that smoke?"

"Yep," he answered , a smile in his voice as he continued leading . "When in doubt , follow the smoke . It's a dead giveaway."

Indeed, barely a minute later and they had reached what seemed to be their destination . It looked like a cross between an old apartment building and private studio , several floors high and seemingly on the verge of falling apart . Overgrowth on the walls outside , a number of cracks in the mortar , a rickety fire escape , and she could swear she heard a creaking noise from the foundation as if it were struggling to hold the weight ,

Not exactly an encouraging picture .

"Don't worry," he said, walking up the stairs. "It's sturdier than it looks. It has to be in case one of her projects goes wrong."

She tried not to worry too much about the implications of that as she followed him up the stairs . Once reaching the top he quickly knocked on the door several times and was answered by a joking and feminine voice from within.

"What's the password?"

"This," he responded drily, fishing a carton of cigarettes out of his pocket and opening the top, holding it in front of the door like someone presenting a cookie to charm a child into opening the door .

The response was so quick that she almost missed it, the door opening and a hand reaching out to grab the carton and pull them back in fast as sound, the door slamming shut. There was another sound of a lighter crackling to life and then a deep breath followed by a contended sigh.

"Okay, you're in."

The door opened again, this time fully and in a more welcoming manner.

Fujino almost gagged at the smoke that wafted out, surpassing a cough as she followed Reinherz inside and the door closed behind them.

Unsurprisingly, the interior was perfectly suited to resemble the outside. Nothing was actually broken, but it all had a very lived in and dusty feel, as if the hadn't been cleaned or maintained since they'd been installed. Not to mention the place was a veritable labyrinth of all kinds of odds and ends of more sorts than she could ever hope to sort out.

Then she saw the woman he'd led her here for.

In contrast to the surroundings, she was quite well put together, even rather attractive with deep red hair in a type of ponytail to match her eyes and fair skin , dressed in dark pants and wearing business shirt.

"Rein!" she greeted excitedly arms , opened wide in greetings as she beamed a smile. "You always know EXACTLY what to bring me as a gift."

He returned the smile. "Can't go wrong with Dragon's Breath, right? Those were your exact words."

The smile didn't last long , unfortunately. Seemed Rein himself wasn't any fonder of the smoke than Fujino herself, considering the twitch of his own nose. "And seriously, when are you gonna hook up some fans and open a damn window in here?"

"Why should I?" the redhead asked with a shrug, smile still in place. "The smell adds character."

"It also adds lung cancer."

The woman snorted. "Please, as if people like you and me need to worry about THAT."

Finally, the woman seemed to notice the two of them weren't alone, turning to look at her. It wasn't a threatening look, but it somehow felt … invasive. As if the woman could somehow look deep into her soul.

"Ooh , where'd you find THIS cute little delicacy?" She turned back to Reinherz. "Is she another gift for me?"

"Her name is Asagami Fujino . And no, you can't have her."

... Just what kind of world did she walk into ?

**-Touko Aozaki-**

The Magus had to admit, her interest had been piqued.

Granted, Rein always seemed to bring her the best gifts and surprise in general, but every once in a while he brought her a truly rare gem. And on a scale from 1-10 , she say this girl was a solid emerald.

Mystic Eyes of Distortion powerful enough to have almost instantaneous effects on the subjected matter, capable twisting limbs and possibly even steel. Such effects were rarely even PLAUSIBLE outside of someone who'd possessed them for several centuries to practice and hone their power, and this girl could do it at … what? Sixteen, seventeen ?

She even had a good number of Magic Circuits to be a Magus herself, with some time and teaching. Unfortunately, Rein would have to find someone else for that, it wasn't her specialty. Either way …

She took a long breath in from her cigarette, teasing the tip with her lips a little to coax out just one more puff of that sweet smoke to fill her lungs before she removed it and breathed everything back out. "So, where exactly do I come in for this?"

"There's an operation I need done. She's dying from something and it looks like you're the only one I know who can fix it."

She raised an eyebrow. "A regular hospital won't work?"

"Let's just say they might ask too many questions. "

She mouthed an "Ah," in understanding. "Okay then. In that case-"

"No, you don't get to dissect her when you're done."

Her expression immediately changed into a pout. "Killjoy. Fine, but for tuning away a great find like her I'll double find my usual payment."

"You'll get that AND free dinner at any restaurant of your choice. That includes drinks and desserts. "

"ANY place I choose?"

He nodded to her and it was a done deal.

Still … "Are you SURE I can't just pick at her a little?"

She could barely hold back a predatory smile as the girl shrunk back a little with a shiver.

She could be such a troll.

**XXXX**

After what felt like an eternity, Fujino's red eyes opened to the world once again.

She wasn't entirely sure when she had been put to sleep, it wasn't like she could tell the passage of time while unconscious, but she hoped she hadn't been out of it for too long.

She groaned and her hand came rest upon her head, memories seeming rather groggy. She had no idea what Ms. Aozaki could've used to put her under, but it must've been pretty potent to still be affecting her this strongly.

But, eventually, her head cleared enough for a certain question to surface in her mind. 'How did the operation go?'

She remembered some of the conversation from before it all started, Ms. Aozaki telling her that her condition was the unforeseen result of the medications she'd been given by her father for so long.

She vaguely recalled something about that, from many years ago. Something he said to mother about how her power was unnecessary and dangerous in the current day and age, that she was likely to attract all the most dangerous kinds of attention. How it was better to just keep them sealed away and give her a normal life.

There was no way for him to have known the side effects, the unfortunate results it would have on her. Fujino honestly believed that if he knew it would remove her sense of pain, not to mention eventually KILL her, he never would've gotten her on those medications.

But right now, none of that mattered. All that mastered was that…

"Oh," cooed a familiar voice, startling her. "Awake already?"

Fujino turned to the source, spotting the aforementioned redhead seated calmly in the corner of the room with a statisfied smile on her face and a cigarette in her mouth. "Ms. Aozaki."

She shook her head. "Just call me Touko, it's easier. More importantly," she paused to take one last draw from her cigarette before taking it out, turning to look at her seriously."How are you feeling?"

She blinked. "I'm feeling … good?"

Ms. Aozaki- Touko raised an eyebrow. "Let me rephrase that: Do you feel any discomfort at all? Any pain?"

Silently feeling the sensations of her own body, she shook her head in a no.

"Good" the woman chimed, her eyes closing as her smile widened. "That means the operation was a success. Now we've gotta wait for Rein to get here and-"

She was interrupted by the door opening, the silver haired young man himself walking in. "I'm back," he announced, not having seen her yet as he focused on his red haired friend. "How's Fujino? And , again, the payment is void if you couldn't resist the temptation to fiddle around with her."

Touko raised a hand to her chest with a faux gasp of disbelief. "How could you SAY such a thing? I gave my word, remember? My word is my bond and all that crap." She snickered. "Seriously, she's fine. Check for yourself," she dismissed, waving his attention over to her.

As Rein turned to see her, his features lit up slightly in surprise. Apparently he hadn't expected to see her up so early either. "Awake already?"

She slowly nodded her head, unsure of how else to respond. "Yes."

He walked over to her, grabbing another chair on the way and took a seat beside her. "How are you feeling? Anything seem off? Unusual?"

The redhead sighed exasperatedly "For the last time, I DID NOT meddled her while she was unconscious or try some kind of secret experiment on her. It would be unprofessional." She got up and headed for the door. "Forget this, I'm going out."

Silence reigned between them as Touko left, her footsteps slowly fading away until there were the only people present at all. "Okay, now that's she's gone it's time for a talk?"

She titled her head. "About what?"

"Your future," he answered cryptically to shift in the chair into a more comfortable position. The first attempt din't seem to work, so he tried again several times until he seemed to be comfortable. "What are you planning to do now?" he asked bluntly.

She opened her mouth to answer but… no words came. She had no idea. What COULD she do now that her life had changed so drastically, now that her very way of viewing the world around her was so deeply altered. "I… don't know."

He didn't respond to her for a while, just keeping quiet as he gave her more time to think, to try and find another answer. But no matter how long he waited, no matter how much she brainstormed, no answers were forthcoming.

And then he asked , "Would you like to come with me?"

**-Reinherz-**

"Go with you?" she questioned. Not confirming or denying, simply curious.

He nodded. "Chances are … you can't really have a NORMAL life anymore. That's … partially my fault for arriving late. But, if nothing else, I can give you somewhere to go. I can get in touch with your parents to get it arranged, make sure everything is sorted and then… well, we'll see when happens from there." He scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. "Long term plans never have been a strength of mine. So I improvise."

He sighed. "But, if you want to TRY and live a normal life, I won't force you to do otherwise. I'll see what I can do to salvage this and you can try to get back on track. And of something happens … I'll know."

It was all he could do. Kinda funny that, novice of True Magic or not, being a Magician didn't really give you a magic wand to swish around to make your problems go away.

... Well, not the COMPLEX problems at least.

Either way, he wasn't going to force her into this. Besides being a MONUMENTALLY dick move, there was every chance she might suddenly decide to bend his head around on his neck until it popped off, regained mental stability or no. He rather liked having his head attached, thank you very much. It was where he got his brilliant ideas from.

… Well, half time.

And as she pondered his offer overm he waited with bated breath for the choice that would decide her fate.

Then, with shoulders squared and jaw set, she looked at him in the eye. "I've made my choice."

**END**


	4. Chapter 4

**Of things to come 3: Death of Fifth Satan .**

**BEGIN**

'Oh, I just KNOW this isn't going to be pleasant.'

Such was the thought of one Zekram Bael. The first and only Head of the House of Bael and a Devil with enough influenceto be considered the secret Fifth Satan . The unofficial "true ruler" of Underworld .

'Just how did I get into this situation?'

Thinking back, the last memories he had were in his bedchamber, ready to finally rest his weary bones after a day of his usual responsibilities, known and otherwise. Just another day of playing the intricacies of Underworld politics, the "Game of Webs" he'd so often called it. A game he had long since become the master of, as his old age would make clear.

But as for how he got HERE…

Taking a moment to observe his surroundings, the elderly Devil realized he was in some kind of laboratory. Strapped to a table , divested of his clothes, left in nothing but his underwear and bound in shackles with a collar around his neck.

'Well, this is new. And quite uncomfortable. Though it's nothing I can't-'

His line of thought came to a screeching halt, an attempt to access his Power of Destruction, the power held within all Pureblooded members of the esteemed House of Bael, was met only with a shock of mind blanketing pain, his sight becoming blinded as the pain seemed to flood his vision with white.

Zekram Bael was most certainly NOT having a pleasant day .

"~ Ara , you're awake already?"

The Elder Bael, his vision slowly clearing, turned his head towards voice's direction . It was ... a young woman. Human, apparently, with short red hair and wearing spectacles stared back at him with a smirk on her face. She wore an odd kind of dark green dress that somewhat reminded him of the nobles of Europe.

Zekram waited for the pain to recede before he spoke, refusing to speak in a mere croak to this woman. He would not show a sign of weakness here, not now. "Who are you?" Zekram asked calmly, the familiar sense of control easing over his worry. "Why have you captured me?"

The woman bowed to him, a motion obvious in its attempt at mockery, made more infuriating due to the widening smile on her face. He was quite sure he'd made the same expression many times before.

"The name's Touko Aozaki. Sealing Designate of the Clock Tower, master Puppet Crafter, graduated as the Red (don't even think of think of calling me that), genius of the Aozaki family, and the VERY dissatisfied older sister of The Blue."

Her formal introduction done, the woman rose from her bow and looked down upon him with a predatory leer. "But right now, you can just call me Doctor. Because I'm about to do some surgery. Hope you don't mind the lack of anesthetic."

As the redhead reached for a nearby scalpel, twirling it in her finger with a practiced ease, Zekram knew she wasn't joking.

But, for all he knew this wasn't a joke, that he could very well die here, Zekram Bael refused to be cowed.

"I see," he responded, his tone cold and hard. "And why exactly would you go through all this trouble for me? I'm assuming it isn't because you simply have the spare time to torment an old man? That would be rather sad for you, wouldn't it?"

The Magus raised an eyebrow, the twirling of her scalpel coming to a sudden stop before the rotation was reversed just as quickly. "Ooh, the old man has some spine in him," she cooed, walking slowly to the other side of the table even as he watched her like a hawk. "That's good. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience when I say it gets SO annoying when they start blubbering. There can be so MANY tear stains"

The scalpel stopped in mid-twirl, and her whole aura changed. Gone was the veneer of humor, replaced with a flinty edge in her eyes even as the expression on her face didn't seem to change at all.

"As for the reasons why you're here, I'm doing this for a favored customer of mine."

An old friend? So she was doing this at the behest of someone else. That meant...

"Do you have any idea how LITTLE that narrows it down?"

And that infuriating smile appeared yet again. "Oh, don't you worry. I'm sure you're memory is starting to go, so I'll make it a little easier for you." The scalpel pierced through air, the tip pointing to a corner of the room. "He's over there."

Sighing, Zekram moved his head as best he could to see where she was pointing. Being strapped to this table wasn't doing his neck any favors, so it took some effort to get into position.

Then he saw him. There, leaning against wall with arms crossed, was a young man in his early 20s with dark silver hair. His attire was rather simple, merely a black t-shirt with blue jeans and boots.

But what Zekram noted most wasn't his choice of attire, oh no, it was his posture. Zekram had lived for a LONG time, he'd played the politics of the Underworld for a LONG time, and you never got to do so without learning a few special skills.

Perhaps chief among them was a means of effectively sizing people up at a glance. To read their motivations, their patterns, their way of thinking from the subtle ques.

And that skill was showing him a great deal right now.

His straight back and unworried demeanor showed he was confident, not in being untouchable here, but confident in HIMSELF. His arms were crossed, but held with a hidden looseness in the muscles, showing an experience with battle and a guard he kept up at all times. And he could tell from the slight bulges in his boots and jeans that he not only had a small arsenal of hidden weapons, but their placement within easy reach showed he was no stranger to using them to turn back an ambush on would be attackers.

But most of all were the boys eyes. Cold, sharp, unwavering. The eyes of not just a fighter, but a killer. And they were staring back at him unflinching

This one was dangerous.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still as they stared one another down, willing, DARING the other to blink first, even as they were unwilling to back down.

They probably would've continued like that for some time if the Magus hadn't brought them back to reality with a forced cough. "Hey, as interesting as it is to see you guys duking it out with your eyes, don't you think we should get this show on the road, Rein?"

The young man, Rein apparently, momentarily glared at the redhead. "Do you REALLY need to keep calling me that? You know I hate that nickname."

"Well I'm SORRY, hon," she cooed, her voice coming out with a layer of honey so thick Zekram was only surprised it wasn't literally pouring from her mouth as she spoke. "But it's just that we're on a bit of a deadline right now, and you're little experiment at burning him to death with your glare isn't working."

Then the sweetness suddenly disappeared, her expression going cool so quickly and easily that Zekram honestly though the girl could have some kind of Dissociative Identity Disorder. "Besides, even if it worked, that just means I wouldn't have a corpse to cut up and you'll have cheated me on this. Don't forget what I'm supposed to get outta the deal."

Yet, contrary to the almost threatening undertone, the young man seemed entirely unworried. The young woman's words barely seemed to rouse a scoff and a brief roll of his eyes, though he shrugged in deference to her point. "Fine, this'll just take a second."

Pushing himself from the wall, the mastermind of this little scene walked toward the table where Zekram was bound, his steps sure and unhurried even as he came so close that he could reach out and choke him to death on the table. Looking down on him, the eyes of the young man suddenly regained their former hardness as he spoke. "My name is Reinherz Schweinorg."

'Schweinorg. An interesting name. Not to mention completely unfamiliar.'

Now, never let it be said that Zekram was a man with poor memory, but even HE couldn't remember the name of every porr soul he'd sacrificed to guarantee the survival and prominence of his House. He'd put down many clans and individuals alike with grand or unusual names, some of them putting Schweinorg to shame, so he really couldn't be sure if this one had a legitimate reason for wanting him dead and gone.

After all, it wasn't easy to keep track of every enemy when seemingly half of the world wanted you dead.

"Don't recognize the name, huh?" the young man smirked down on him, a strange smile on his face. "Fine, then maybe THIS'LL jog your memory a bit."

Then, with a grand flourish, he took a mocking bow with his head held low and said, "I am Reinherz Lucifer, older brother of Vali Lucifer, grandson of Rizevim Livan Lucifer. ~Pleased to meet you, lord Zekram Bael."

And it was then, for the first time in many years, that the often unflappable Zekram Bael was caught truly and completely by surprise, his eyes momentarily widening as the information flowed fresh in his ancient mind. It made sense now, this abductor was the grandson of Rizevim-bocchan ! Of all the people he'd stepped over, cast out, or simple exterminated, the blood of Lucifer were among those with the GREATEST reason to hate him, the deepest and most burning desire to see him dead.

And it looked like one of them had finally gotten to him.

"Oh, nonononono," the bo ... the LUCIFER exclaimed, waving a hand in front of his face as a forestalling action. "I know what you're thinking right now: you think I'm doing this for the FAMILY, right? To avenge the loss of our once great House, to cast down the great traitor himself? That's what you're thinking?"

The Bael's eyes narrowed at the brat. Of course that was what he wanted.

… Wasn't it? Why else would he go through all this trouble to capture him and arrange for his death in some dark room, bound and helpless on a table, at the mercy of some crazed associate?

His uncertainty must've showed, because The boy seemed to look down on him with a predatory look, a glimmer in his eyes that said 'I know you DON'T know'. "Still haven't figured it out, huh?"

Zekram's only answer was silence and a searing glare.

Somehow, that damned boy seemed to simply get more confident at that. With a roll of his eyes and a growing smirk on his face, he chuckled low and dark. "Alright, I'll spell it out for you."

Rein couldn't help but feel some satisfaction at what was happening here. Zekram Bael, strapped to an operating table and coming out of his little knockout daze, Touko off to the side and sharpening a few scalpels. And a major obstacle was about to be taken out of the way.

Of course, given the circumstances, he couldn't help but want to gloat a little.

"So, Zekky," ooh, the guy didn't like that. Rein saw him twitch at the nickname. "Is it alright if I call you Zekky?"

"No."

"Zekky it is then," Rein retorted with a grin. Yeah, he was being a bit of an a**, what of it? "Let me guess, you're probably thinking something along the lines of 'oh geez, what does THIS guy wanna kill me for', is that about right? Well the answer is...nothing really."

The old Devil was just nodding along to him as he spoke, more or less tuning him out as if he'd heard it all before. But the moment Rein said the last part he stopped completely. He turned to face him, surprise present but far from obvious. "Pardon?"

He smiled at him again, perhaps eve a little unhinged. "It's true. You've honestly done NOTHING to me personally. I mean, you've screwed bad with some people I know, some of them I'd even consider... well, maybe not friends, but close acquaintances. Killing Diehauser's sister, helped to sustain a conspiracy in the Rating Games, and that's just the TIP of the iceberg isn't it? But the truth is... I don't really even care."

He moved closer, each step causing a clack on the tiled floor.

"Y'see, Zekky, the reason I'm doing this is ... well, to be blunt, it's because I need you gone." He leaned forward slightly, just enough so he looked Zekram in the eyes. "Because certain things, which I'm not entirely at liberty to say, are going to happen. Things I want to prevent or, failing that, mitigate the damage. But doing that demands certain that I have means of meeting certain requirements and... well, you being around will get in the way of that. And when it comes to guaranteeing my own survival and the circle of people I actually give a damn about, I can do some REALLY nasty things."

He gestured to Touko. "And this FINE lady will be helping with the corpse disposal!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Rein," Touko quipped, taking another long draft of her cigarette before blowing it out in a ring. "Still, corpse disposal? I thought it was a dissection."

He waved his hand. "Semantics. There won't be anything left, that's what I want." He turned to Zekram, another slightly off smile on his face. "So, that's what's gonna happen. Now, I might not be a priest or a holy man of any kind," dear GOD had some of his friends and acquaintances seen to that, "but if you've got any last words, I'll hear them."

Touko actually chuckled a bit at that line.

But Zekram was still silent, almost as if he were in defiance of everything. He didn't speak a work, just ... stared at him silently.

Rein would've said it was unnerving, but he'd already been in situations that ironed his nerves. If Zekram thought he was going to psyche him out then he was wrong. The old man seemed to realize that after a while, and he finally deigned to speak. "I don't suppose I could ask a few questions?"

Rein raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."

Zekram nudged his head towards Touko. "Alone?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. Last words were one thing, but alone? He might've expected a confession under other circumstances, but from a guy like this that didn't seem likely.

He took a moment to weigh the risks, the possibility that this was some kind of trap and what he could do to counter if it was.

Considering Zekram's power was completely sealed, AND he was tied to an operating table, Rein decided to go along with it and gave Touko a look.

Her expression briefly took on an annoyed look before smoothing over into her usual apathy, muttering something about brewing some coffee as she left.

And with the redhead Magus gone, they were free to talk. "Ask."

"What exactly are you preparing for?" he asked. "And how does my death factor into it?"

Straight to the point, huh? Alright. "War is what I'm preparing for. One that'll make the Great War between the Three Factions look like a playground squabble. I have some ways to prepare for it, but I can't move freely with people like you around and keeping an eye on things. With the Fifth Satan gone I can finally start moving in earnest instead of slinking through alleys."

Zekram's eyebrow quirked slightly. "A war is it?" he sighed. "I'm guessing Rizevim is involved somehow?"

Reinherz raised an eyebrow 'So the old man got active earlier then should have and Zekram learned something... Dammit !'

"In a fashion," he admitted, slowly breaking out into another smile. "I'm looking forward to seeing DEAR granddaddy again. We've got so much catching up to do."

He was caught a bit off guard when Zekram actually CHUCKLED at that. "Oh, nothing unique there. About half of the older generations in the Underworld have a bone to pick with THAT one. He always had an unnatural talent at making enemies."

"Since when was making enemies supposed to be a TALENT?"

"Back in the early days of the Underworld where Devils fought as openly and commonly amongst themselves as they did with everyone else. More enemies meant more opportunities to keep your skills sharp and keep your place in the pecking order. Though of course it would be a detriment NOW. Still, even back then he seemed to take it to an unhealthy degree."

Oh. Well, when he put it like that the ability to make lots of enemies probably WOULD count as some kind of talent. "Anything else?"

"Just one more thing," Zekram assured. "What will you do about the power vacuum? My influence may not exactly be public knowledge but the people in POWER still know, and they'll rush to take it when they know I'm gone. How exactly will you cope with that? Perhaps you want to take my place yourself?"

"Oh HELL no!" Reinherz insisted, his voice rising to a volume that was maybe a BIT louder than he'd wanted. "No," he repeated, "I'm nont interested. With power like that comes attention and surveillance and that's something I don't want at all. Hell, do you have any idea how much power I'd GIVE UP to do that?"

Either way, Zekram up and disappearing would leave a lot of the older Devils disorganized and panicking, at least for a while. He was betting on Sirzechs and the other Satans stepping in through their own proxies to grab the reins. The Satans might not hold any official power on their own, but they didn't NEED to if their subordinates and supporters held it for them.

No point in being the king when you were the voice behind the throne. A motto to live by.

Zekram was silent for a while, mulling over Rein's words and the meanings within. But after a while he could swear he saw something, a glimmer in his eyes.

He could've been wrong, but he could almost swear that it was something akin to... approval?

"Very well."

Rein blinked. "What was that?"

"Very well," Zekram repeated. "I must admit I'm actually a little relieved. At first I thought you were just a half-breed with a chip on your shoulder, an inflated ego, and too much idealism. But now...Well, I STILL think you're a half-breed with an inflated ego, but at least you seem to have SOME idea of what you're doing. You're not perfect, but you're better than the alternative I was expecting."

Zekram flashed him a smile, cold and with an edge he'd seen only once before. "After all, anyone who would kill me just to get me out of the way has SOME idea of how things really work."

... AND it looks like it really WAS approval he saw in his eyes earlier. Kinda creepy. Still, for Zerkam to give a compliment like that? He wasn't sure if he should feel proud or a little disturbed.

Turning around and leaving the room, he shut the door behind him. HARD. "He's all yours, Touko."

"Shall we begin ?"

Zekram shrugged again, flinching slightly as the tender muscles of his shoulders developed a slight kink from the movement. "Don't expect me to start begging."

The young woman just shrugged and smiled. "Good," she answered, bringing picked up scalpel closer. "I find it very distracting."

**END**

**Author's note:**

**Please review this fic as this gives me ego boost . Flames will be ignored .**

**Zekram Bael is among most dangerous DxD individuals you can possibly encounter. And worst choice of enemy you can think of . True leader of Bael clan and central figure behind elder devils, who control Underworld from darkness.**

**That's why Reinherz decided to kill him.**

**Bael elder is immensely dangerous person, who can undermine Protagonist if Zekram deemed him as threat to himself, using all these resources and powers amassed for many years. This isn't enemy you can treat slightly.**

**But MAIN reason why Reinherz decided to kill Zekram is for Vali's sake.**

**As Zekram wouldn't bat an eyeleash to kill Vali in order to preserve his power according to Azazel in the beginning of volume 21 , that's why Protagonist decided to kill Zekram Bael by giving him to Touko as lab rat. Of course, due to their partnership she will share her research on him with Rein and of course... it means KING PIECE fell in hands of Vali's brother as Bael has this incredible little thing.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hello, readers! For now I am stopping writing chapters of series "Of things to come" and further chapters gonna be about my Protagonist's story from the very beginning of his path. Be so kind and review chapters, flames will be ignored. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Highschool DxD or Nasuverse works **

**Chapter 1: Witch, vampire and devil meet-Wait, this isn't bar!**

"Normal Speech."

_'Normal Thought.'_

**"Dragon/God/Demon Speech."**

**_'Dragon/God/Demon Thought.'_**

_"Spells/Translations."_

"Text Messages/Notices."

**BEGINNING**

Dun Scaith.

The Land of Shadows.

Tokavaig.

These were all the names of the Irish domain of the dead, or at least a specific part of it. A realm of neverending twilight, haunted eternally by wraiths and ghosts, voracious spirits that hungered for the very essence of life. Poor and pitiful creatures that forever craved something truly beyond their reach.

Yet, for however alien it may be to the modern world, it was not always so separate from it. Things used to be different, the veil between this realm and the land of mortals so thin that all it took was an errant step for some fool to wander to their doom. So few were still alive who remembered those days.

Scathach, Queen of the Land of Shadows, the Witch of Dun Scaith, was one of those very few.

Flat red eyes stared down upon the vast expanse of lifeless earth below, her seat of choice little more than a conveniently placed rock. Most apparent people of status would consider themselves above such a thing, allowing themselves to rest only on the finest and most luxurious of materials. But to her it mattered little. A mere seat of stone would suffice.

After all, what good were soft little luxuries to one of her skill and stature? To a warrior who conquered the Land of Shadows? To a slayer of Gods? To a woman who had become so steeped in death and battle that the reaper himself didn't dare approach her?

...It was amazing just how much zest for life a person could lose when death no longer became a concern. A revelation Scathach had become intimately familiar with.

So few things truly roused anything in her beyond a passing acknowledgment anymore. Naught but a glance before she went back on her way. No excitement, no joy, no surprise...nothing.

At least the outside world could still do something for her. Watching it all unfold like some grand play in the making. Nations born and unmade, the world shifting, the clashing of great armies in the field of battle. Or perhaps the subtle things, like watching the life of a specific individual unfold. Didn't the mortal media have a term for that last one? She thought it was called a...soap-somethign?

If nothing else, the innovations could be interesting. Commodities such as modern electricity and plumbing seemed so mundane now, but back in her own era they were practically the stuff of fantasy. And she was quite sure no one from her ear had ever found a way to send a man to the moon. And to think mankind was doing this all even in spite of Gaia's attempts to stamp them out like they a particularly stubborn virus.

Oh, but technology wasn't the only thing to change with the passage of time. Magic had changed as well. Or Magecraft, as many people called it now. So sad that it had become so much weaker, but that also caused the exceptional few to stand out. Several in particular came to mind-

"YOOOOOOOHHHHOOOOOOO! Ms, Tall, Red, and Gloomy! Guess who came by for a visit?"

...

Including one of the few people who could truly test her nerves. And so, releasing a sigh of resignation, she turned to her rather ... unorthodox guest. "Kischur Zeltretch."

Forcing herself to take a deep breath and exhale, Scathach turned to her very sudden and unwelcome guest. The Master of the Second True Magic. The victor against Crimson Moon. And the most singulary annoying prankster she'd met in centuries. "I believe I told you quite succinctly that you could only return here under VERY specific circumstances?"

The deceptively looking old man just flashed her one of his trademark smiles. She had come to dub this one as 'Prankster smile #3' , meaning he came her with something he believed she would find at least midly surprising. " Oh, don't worry my dear, I assure you THIS will be far more interesting than the Kaleidostick I showed you."

She nearly summoned a lance in her hand at the mere mention of that … THING! She still remembered the feeling of it trying to manifest its power in her before she managed to force it out . Followed by snapping it on her own knee. "Do not ever mention that creation to me again," she said , her voice eerily calm.

Fortunately Zelretch seemed to realize how dangerous that particular subject was, holding his hands up in a gesture of apology. "Right, right, I get it."

She continued to stare at him, red eyes boring holes into his own bloody crimson, neither glarenor playful expression abating. It didn't take long before she realized the futility of trying to cow him into submission, but, rather than cease her glare, she decided to broach the all important subject between them instead. "Why are you here ? And it BETTER be something good."

Zelretch crinkled his eyes closed in apparent disappointment, ending their little stare, though his smile remained. "Straight to the point as always, eh? Too bad, you should really learn to take your time with meetings like-"

The air shimmered in her hand and a long red spear materialized , the tip pointing straight to the man before her in a silent warning.

"-Or maybe not. Fair enough. Long story short , I have a bit of a favor to ask you."

Her right eyebrow rose at that . Really, a favor? THAT what he came here for? How could something like that be of any interest to her?

"Now hold on," he stated, seeming to feel her confusion. "I know it sounds strange , but just give me a moment to show you."

Scathach made to respond in the negative, but by the time her mouth opened Zelretch had clapped his hands an quite literally summoned something out of midair. Or, rather , someone.

"A boy?" she muttered in question. Because it truly WAS a boy of perhaps eight years at most, albeit a strange looking one. Silver hair and blue eyes weren't , to her knowledge , a common phenotype. To her knowledge they rarely existed outside those of supernatural ancestry, or at least through utilizing The Craft.

He seemed just as surprised at his teleportation in as Scathach herself, considering his frantic glances as he observed his immediate surroundings . Then his eyes turned to her and became even wider. She also thought she could see some recognition. Perhaps the old man had spoken of her?

"Allow me to introduce my young apprentice,"Schweinorg spoke up, gesturing to the boy. "His name is Reinherz, I won't bother with the rest because you've never been fond of formalities anyway."

Shifting her gaze to the Dead Apostle, Scathach kept her expression carefully bland. What did any of this have to do with a favor from her ?

Unless …

Wait a moment …

"I ask that you would train this young man," he said, confirming her suspicious. "I know he might look small and pathetic, but I have VERY good reason to believe he'll grow up into someone truly impressive. With the right training of course."

"Allow me to be certain I heard you correctly," Scathach requested calmly. " You mean to say you came here, intruded upon my domain, all to ask me to train a CHILD?"

She didn't miss how the boy -Rein something, was it?- flinched slightly at being called a child. Seems he didn't like that.

"That's it exactly," Zeltretch admitted, face still holding that damned smile. "Good to know you were listening."

Her eyes narrowed by the slightest margin at his choice of wording, but he made no attempt to backpedal or change it. She had known this man for long enough to be aware of his most common conversation tactics, among them the little insults in choice of wording, and it was STILL something she hadn't quite been able to simply brush off.

"And if I say no?"

Somehow the old Vampire's smile became even wider at that. "Come now, Queenie. Take a quick look at the boy and tell me you'll turn me down."

Her eyes narrowed even further at his answer. He was leading her on, like he did with EVERYONE. Never giving a straight answer, just just enough information for people to want more and inquire on his own terms. It had always been infuriating to her.

Almost absently her eyes turned to the boy. Around eight years at the oldest, silvery white hair and blue eyes. Not the oddest appearance, but rare outside of lines with Magic in their ancestry, particularly in the modern day. Still not enough to truly provoke her interest.

Even so, she had a feeling there was more to him than that. Zeltretch was...complicated, even at the best of times, but he rarely got involved in anything unless it somehow provoked his interest. And she was certain the looks alone of the child before her wouldn't have been enough to perk it from him. There had to be something deeper, but WHAT?

After a moment of focus her senses expanded. People had become so limited in the ability to grasp the environment around them, limited only to their more tangible senses. But Scachach had come long before that, before Mystery and Magecraft began to vanish from the world. Back when the senses weren't confined to a mere five but an entire SPECTRUM of instincts and magical sensation.

And that was when she saw why Zeltretch had brought the boy to her.

He wasn't HUMAN No, wait ... he asn't ENTIRELY Human. The body certainly wasn't, but the soul, the self, decidedly was. The intermingling of energies and flows were so intertwined to the point that they barely seemed apart at all even to her finely honed ability to discern Magic.

But that wasn't what got her attention. What stood out to her, what shot this boy up from barely worth her attention to something of interest, was that these energies were all but foreign to her. HER, the Queen of Shadows!

Could it be the same for Zeltretch? Is that why he took the boy on as his apprentice? It would certainly fit with what she knew of him.

"Quite the sight, isn't he?"

She was broken from her thoughts as Zeltretch spoke out, turning to face him again. "Where did you find this boy?"

"Does it matter?" he asked, shrugging. "Either way, my request for you to train him still stands. I can certainly tell you the boy won't be boring. And don't worry about attitude, he's very mature for his age."

She didn't miss how the boy glared at him for the age comment. Could there be something else in play? Regardless, she was starting to truly take his request seriously now.

He wasn't wrong when he'd told her the boy could perk her interest. He was different in ways that she'd seen in only rare occassions beforehand. More than that, he showed POWER. Untapped, but still present and waiting to be harnessed. If he could learn to use it...yes...yes, this was certainly a FAR more tempting offer now. Still ... " Why would you not train him yourself, you are hardly infirm or incapable."

"Because I've stumbled upon a real GEM," he responded, his tone different. Whenever he spoke before there was always a playful hint, a glimmer of mischief in his speech. But now it was gone, replaced with something akin to...excitement? Exhilaration? No, not quite either of those, they just weren't strong enough. But she knew for a FACT that she'd never heard him speak like that before. "And when you find a gem what do you do? Leave it rough and base? Keep it around as a fancy looking rock? No. You need to get it properly prepared. Cut and polished. And for that only the very best will do. BOTH of the best. So, are you REALLY going to turn me down?"

His eyes bored into her own, the weight of his history behind his eyes. For the first time in her life Scathach could say she saw Zeltretch the Immortal Prankster become dead serious. Perhaps, more than anything, that was why she couldn't say no.

"Very well," she answered, somewhat reluctantly. "I will accept him as a student."

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, bringing a hand down behind the boy and roughly pushing him forward. "See ya kiddo, take care of yourself and do what she says. TRUST me, she knows what she's doing, no matter how much it might look like she's trying to kill you." He turned and made to leave, a ripple in space just ahead of him. A foot moved forward for him to take a step before stopping, turning his head to look at the boy once again, this time with a gleam in this eye. "And whatever you do, don't ask how OLD she is."

Sadly, he managed to escape before she could issue a rebuttal. The edge of her gleaming spear shone in the air, right where the back of his neck had been. It had only taken one second.

She didn't seem to be the only one disappointed.

"Damn. I really wish I could've seen you kick him around for a bit."

Her only response was a sign of muted agreement. One day, all she wanted was ONE day where he would be just slow enough for her to catch him. But she knew that was something for later, and so she turned her crimson eyes to the boy.

He straightened up immediately, back going straight and his posture stiff. Somewhat, expected, all things considered. She turned to him, eyes not breaking contact for a moment. "You know who I am," She stated.

He nodded , and her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Then you know I do not take students lightly. If you expect to be learning from me, you WILL meet my expectations. Or I will send you back to him. And I will NOT be gentle."

He nodded again, posture still stiff. But his eyes hadn't changed, still hard and cold. How curious.

"Why are you here?" she inquired. "What is you want so badly that you would agree to this?"

He didn't answer right away. More interestingly, he actually broke eye contact with her , albeit briefly, as he looked downward at the ground. Hesitation? No, not quite. It felt like something else to her.

But it didn't last long, only for a few seconds. The he met her eyes again. "There's someone I want to reach."

"And what will you do when you reach them?"

"Kill him."

Her expression didn't change, neither the apthy nor disinterest made clear on her face. Not even a raised brow. "And what will you do afterwards?"

Again, he didn't answer right away, this time his eyes traveling to the side. Unlike before, this time there was definitely an element of hesitation on his part, some uncertainty. Could he have truly not thought so far ahead?

His next choice of words confirmed it to her. "I don't know."

She shook her head slightly, showing her disapproval. "That's not good enough," she stated bluntly, words so edged with frost that they felt cold on the air. He flinched back slightly from them, not even noticing as she walked past him before standing behind the boy. "We will train for a week. I will not go easy, I will not be soft. You will come out of it stronger, or you will break."

She turned to see him again, crimson eyes pinning him in place again, like the glare of a terrifying predator. "And you will have an answer for me then. Or you will return to Zelretch." She readied the spear. "Your training starts now. Think fast."

**END**


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